This invention relates to a message processing method and apparatus which uses a telematique terminal such as a facsimile or teletex.
A message communication system is known as a communication system which uses telematique terminals. This message communication system is one in which a plurality of telematique terminals are connected via a communications network to a host computer having a store-and-forward exchange function. This system is used for communicating messages among the terminals via the host computer. A service now available for transmitting messages includes the allotted transmission of messages in accordance with a specific date and time designated by the sender. In such allotted transmission, the dates and times at which messages are to be transmitted to various destinations are specified by the sender. The actual transmission of the messages takes place when the specified date and time arrive.
As mentioned above, the construction of a message communication system is such that a plurality of telematique terminals such a facsimile or teletex are connected to a host computer via a communications network. This communications network has come into wide use internationally, and the message communication system is utilized especially as means for communicating messages between countries.
The applicant has filed a number of applications for message communication systems belonging to the same technical field as that of the present invention. For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90935 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90936 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90937 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90938 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90939 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90940 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 63-90941 (application filed on Oct. 6, 1986). The first two of these seven applications were filed in the U.S.A. in combined form as U.S. Ser. No. 102,623, and the latter five were filed in the U.S.A. in combined form as U.S. Ser. No. 481,691.
When messages are transmitted by time designation in a prior-art message communication systems, the time designated is set based on the time prevailing at the location where the sending party's terminal is installed. Accordingly, when a transmission is made by time designation to a receiving party located in a different time zone, it is required that the sender designate a local time suited to the convenience of the receiving party, e.g., a time, such as 8:00 AM, that avoids the midnight hours. This means that before a transmission time can be designated, the sender must calculate the time differential between his location and the local time at the receiving party's location and then, based on the time differential, perform a time conversion to determine at what time the transmission should be made. This is a very troublesome task.